Everybody has seen that movie, right? A Christmas Carol; 8 months from today it’ll be that time again. Yet, on Monday night in Miami, we were given a vision; yes, the Ghost of Bulls Past was on display, having a career game, scoring 56 points, leading his team to victory over the #1 seed Bucks. The series isn’t over yet; that 4th win is sometimes the hardest, but Jimmy Butler… my God. Good for Jimmy. Bad for us.
I remember when the Bulls traded him almost 6 years ago; I was happy for Jimmy, but not for us. Here it is if you don’t believe me:
It was a stupid move then; it remains a stupid move today. We’ve been given plenty of reminders. Sure, the Wolves and 76ers didn’t necessarily work out for Buckets as he figured himself out, but the Heat… He lead them to the bubble NBA Finals against the Lakers; sure, they lost, but what an effort… look at their roster if you don’t believe me. Yet, that ring wouldn’t have counted anyways, right? There’s an asterisk next to that title, yes? That was Jimmy’s first year in Miami; he’s lead them to the playoffs in each of the 4 years he’s been there. Their regular season record in the Butler years is 181-128. The Bulls record in the past 4 years you ask? 139-162. The Bulls have made the playoffs one time; play-in BS don’t count. They’ve won exactly 1 playoff game since Jimmy has exited. Still think the Butler trade was a good idea?
How about that play in game against the Heat? In a head to head matchup of players traded for each other, with Zach and Jimmy, it went like this. One guy had 15 points on 6-21 shooting (zero 3 pointers), 4 boards, 2 dimes, 1 steal, and 5 turnovers. The other guy? 31 points on 11-24 shooting (zero 3 pointers), 5 boards, 3 dimes, 2 steals, and 2 turnovers. But individual stats don’t matter; we know who won the game. The Heat, lead by Butler, outscored the Bulls 35-23 in the 4th quarter when it counted. I was there; I know first hand. Still have questions?
And then there was Monday night against the Bucks. Buckets put up 56 to put the #1 seeded Bucks on the brink of elimination. Wow, just wow. His numbers in the playoffs are better than his numbers in the regular season. If you’re not respecting Jimmy Butler as a legit star in this league, I’m not sure what you’re watching. Just because he’s not sinking 3 pointers doesn’t mean he’s not a baller. I hope they knock out the Bucks.
As we sit and watch Zach Lavine play game in game out, and question why he is a max player… OK, you don’t question that? I get it; the Bulls had to shit or get off the pot, so they pulled the trigger and kept Zach. It’s understandable; it’s also understandable that they were shopping him at the deadline… I hope they were. It’s also understandable if there were no serious bites on him; I hope there are in the offseason. There’s no going back; there are no “re-do’s” on that trade. The only thing we can focus on is going forward. Our best path forward is without Zach; did this season not seal that decision for you?
Maybe it’s unfair… comparing Zach to Jimmy; I take Jimmy 100 out of 100 times over Zach back then, 2 years ago, last year, and right now for what it’s worth, which isn’t a whole lot. We have to live with the decisions of the Bulls front office, back then, and today. I cheer for Zach; I hoped he would be that guy… I will still keep hoping for that, as long as he’s in a Bulls uni. I just know that Jimmy IS that guy. The beat goes on…
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